Rocha-chatter

This past weekend I went to the Toronto Film Festival with my husband, my best friend and her husband. This is the eighth year we have gone. We love not only seeing great films, but we love the celebrity spotting.

We have some strict rules about celebrity spotting... because we are spotters not stalkers. If a celebrity is on the red carpet or doing some other type of promotion for their movie... they are "on the clock" and I will take their picture. But if they are shopping or eating breakfast... it is fun to see them... but no picture taking, no autograph requests.

I took a few celebrity pictures this weekend, but unfortunately the conditions were not ideal.


Jake Gyllenhaal is across the street. No, really.


Jim Broadbent at the screening of the movie "When Did You Last See Your Father?" If only he would stand still.


Helen Hunt at the screening of her movie "Then She Found Me".


Ahhhh, finally! Steven Dorff... you can really tell it's him... sorta. *sigh* We had just seen his movie "The Passage".

Just to show that I don't always totally suck at getting a good picture, here are a couple I took at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival.


Eva Longoria


Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger

I would not make a good paparazzi.

Labels: celebrity, movies, travel

One may ask... does it get any nerdier than Star Wars and stamps? Well....

For my birthday I went to see a film that was all about... hold onto your hats, a typeface.

"Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives."

And Rochester was lucky enough to get a showing at RIT.

A movie centered around a typeface may sound like a snoozer, but it featured enough rabid fans of helvetica, vehement haters of helvetica and funny commentary to keep both designers and non designers engrossed the entire movie.

After the movie there was Q&A and a panel with the director Gary Hustwit and the word HELVETICA made out of rice crispy treat.

Hats off to the School of Design and Print Media.... the director wrote on his blog that...

"They put together the best collection of collateral material of any screening we've had so far... t-shirts, multiple posters, Vignelli-inspired subway signs, a musuem quality Helvetica exhibit, even a giant Helvetica rice crispy treat. RIT has officially set the bar in terms of attention to detail."

I am just glad a militant anti-Arial protest didn't break out... that would have gotten ugly.

Labels: movies

After spouting off ideas for Valentine's Day, I thought I would divulge what I did for the holiday.

My husband took me to the Simply Crepes dinner, where I consumed crepes til I thought I would pop. Savory crepe appetizers, thai beef stuffed crepe and crepes suzette made by the owner himself.


We had such a good time we are taking their crepe making class this Saturday! (more on that later)

Then we went to see Music and Lyrics. It was good. Not as good as the last romantic comedy I saw, The Holiday, but just okay.

It was really strange to see/hear Hugh Grant sing. Some actors do really well singing in movies. Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge... Katherine Zeta Jones in Chicago. Hugh Grant.... welllllll.

Not that he was a bad singer.... he even sang seven of the songs on the soundtrack. Only I couldn't look at him when he was singing. Look at him singing... "Eh!? Wha?!"... look away... "Oh hey, that's not bad". Very strange... I can't explain it.

Labels: food, movies

I'll admit it... I am a sucker for romantic comedies. Take Hugh Grant from Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually... pair him with Drew Barrymore from 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed and Fever Pitch and you have the ultimate romantic comedy called Music and Lyrics. Hugh is a washed up 80's singer who needs Drew's lyrical talent to make a comeback. (how unrealistic... "Wake me up before you go go" is lyrical genius!)

I have been waiting for Music and Lyrics to open and those clever people scheduled it for Valentines Day.

If a traditional romantic comedy isn't your style, the Dryden Theatre is showing The Princess Bride on Valentines Day. I don't think I have ever met a person that didn't like The Princess Bride. Here is your chance to see it on the big screen again. Is there any way this wouldn't be the perfect Valentines date? INCONCEIVABLE!

If you would rather not sit in a warm cozy theatre for Valentines Day, they are offering carriage rides at Nazarath College. It sounds wildly romantic, but I don't know if I could get past feeling badly for the horses. If we get all the snow they are calling for maybe they could break out a sleigh instead.

Whatever you do I hope everyone has an enjoyable Valentine's Day!

Labels: holiday, movies